"Then when are we going to save No. 17?"
Seeing that Linze had no intention of going back on his word, No. 18 asked urgently.
She knew well, No. 17 was currently inside Cell. The longer they delayed, the more dangerous the situation became for him.
If Cell completely absorbed him, it might be too late!
Clearly, No. 18 wasn't as cold and detached as she had been portrayed in Dragon Ball Z.
Especially when it came to her twin brother No. 17, her worry was no different from that of a normal, caring sister.
"Don't worry. Cell will come to us on his own."
"As long as Cell isn't killed, No. 17 will remain intact inside him."
Linze replied calmly.
After all, in Dragon Ball Z, both No. 17 and No. 18 were absorbed by Cell and remained inside him for ten days. Even after Gohan defeated Cell with the Father-Son Kamehameha, No. 18 was expelled alive, and No. 17 was revived with the Dragon Balls.
"Really?"
No. 18 looked at Linze with a trace of doubt, questioning his confidence.
"Yes. Don't worry."
"I gave you my word, and I'm not the kind of person who breaks promises."
Linze responded seriously, meeting her eyes.
Even if, by some chance, No. 17 were fully digested by Cell, he could always be revived using Earth's Dragon Balls especially now that Dende was the new Guardian.
"Then what do we do now? Just wait around like this?"
No. 18 asked anxiously, her arms crossed as she glanced at the horizon.
Despite Linze's words, the thought of her brother trapped inside that monster made her uneasy.
"What else?"
"For now, just eat and rest properly. When the time is right, Cell will show up on his own."
Linze lightly patted No. 18 on the shoulder as he spoke.
Now that No. 18 had become his woman, she didn't resist the gesture.
"Well… alright."
Seeing Linze's calm and confident demeanor, No. 18 could only nod.
Since she had chosen to believe in him, there was no point in doubting him now.
"Let's go!"
"I'm feeling a bit hungry again. Let's grab some more yaki-gyoza. I didn't get enough earlier!"
With that, Linze grabbed No. 18's hand and, in the blink of an eye, they vanished from where they stood.
…
Time passed three days slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Son Goku and Son Gohan had now exited the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Goku had since traveled to New Namek to recruit Dende as the new Guardian of Earth.
After Piccolo had fused with Kami, the original Guardian, the Dragon Balls had vanished, as they were tied to Kami's existence.
But with Dende taking the position of Earth's new God, a new set of Dragon Balls was created.
And this new version came with an upgrade!
The original Dragon Balls could grant only one wish at a time. However, with Dende's improvements, the new set could now grant two wishes though the rule that the same person could not be revived more than once remained.
Now, back at The Lookout...
Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, and the other Z-Fighters had gathered.
"Goku… are you confident you can defeat Cell?"
Piccolo asked with a serious expression, looking directly at him.
Everyone knew Goku was their strongest fighter. If even he couldn't defeat Cell, then their odds were grim.
"I'm not sure. I haven't fought him yet, so I don't know how powerful he's become."
"But if that guy absorbed Vegeta, then yeah… he's probably stronger than ever."
Goku responded, his voice heavy.
He wasn't afraid but he wasn't reckless, either.
Even if he could beat Cell, it wouldn't be an easy fight. It might come at a cost.
But fortunately, there is Gohan. Even if Goku loses, Gohan will definitely defeat Cell!
"By the way, Trunks—this Linze you mentioned... is he really that strong?"
Son Goku turned to Trunks, curious.
Since he had been training inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber earlier, he hadn't sensed Linze's energy.
But based on what Trunks had said, the guy sounded formidable.
"Yeah, he's definitely strong."
"Dad was casually swatted away by him like a fly."
Trunks nodded, his voice carrying a hint of awe.
His instincts told him that Linze might even surpass Goku in raw strength.
"In that case, he's really something."
Goku nodded thoughtfully.
He knew Vegeta's power well while Vegeta might still be slightly weaker than Goku post-Hyperbolic Time Chamber, anyone who could knock him away with a slap couldn't be taken lightly.
"I just hope he's not on the enemy's side," Goku muttered under his breath. "That would be... a problem."
Then, addressing the group once more, he said:
"Alright, while Cell hasn't made a move yet, anyone who hasn't gone into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, make sure to train. We need to raise our power levels as much as we can."
If Linze turned out to be an enemy, even Gohan and he might not be enough to stop both him and Cell.
"In that case, I'll go in and train next," said Piccolo, his tone calm and focused.
Given the current situation, both Krillin and Tien Shinhan wouldn't be able to contribute much.
Not because they weren't trying but because the power gap was simply too wide.
But if Piccolo trained for a year or more inside the chamber, he might be able to make a meaningful difference.
"Okay!"
Goku and the others nodded in agreement.
…
Another day passed.
Linze and No. 18 were seated at a quiet restaurant, enjoying their meal. Just then, the TV in the corner of the room lit up with an emergency broadcast.
On the screen appeared Cell.
"Good morning, citizens of Earth…"
"I'll just take a few minutes to make an announcement."
"I'm sure many of you don't know me yet, so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cell. You may have heard of the recent disappearances yes, that was me…"
…
Cell calmly and arrogantly explained who he was and what he had done.
"This bastard's appearance has changed again… damn it…"
No. 18 stared at the screen, her eyes wide with fury as she clenched her fists.
Cell had clearly changed. He had a more refined, complete form now.
"He's absorbed someone again?"
Linze narrowed his eyes at the screen. "So this is his Perfect Form…"
According to the Dragon Ball Z manga, Cell needed to absorb both Android 17 and Android 18 to achieve his Perfect Form.
Linze had assumed Cell still needed to absorb No. 18 but this version had already transformed.
"Wait… he didn't absorb 18—he absorbed 17 and Vegeta? And that worked?"
Linze was clearly surprised. In the manga, Cell only achieved his perfect form by absorbing No. 17 and No. 18. But perhaps absorbing a warrior as powerful as Vegeta had triggered a premature transformation.
Still, something felt off.
---